Treeless Mountain (2008)

So Yong Kim’s Treeless Mountain (2008) is told in an intimate and contemplative manner that keeps the viewer attuned to the emotions and impressions of its two young protagonists, sisters Jin (Hee Yeon Kim) and Bin (Song Hee Kim). The film, which follows the girls when they are left behind - first with an Aunt, then with their Grandparents - while their mother goes in search of their errant father, has been compared to Hirokazu Koreeda’s Nobody Knows (2004). The similarities are fairly superficial, but Treeless Mountain could be described as the more hopeful, redemptive cousin of that gruelling film. The performances from the young actresses are superb, and the film offers a tender and evocative child's-eye-view of the world.